YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, accusing the government of using the Amaravati capital issue to divert attention from what he described as large-scale corruption.
Addressing a press conference at his Tadepalli office, Jagan alleged that governance under Chandrababu was marked by “unchecked corruption and exploitation” and claimed that the recent Assembly resolution on Amaravati was aimed at misleading the public.
He argued that the concept of a “capital” is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, which, according to him, refers only to “seats of governance.”
Referring to the Centre’s reported submissions before the courts, he said the Union government had no role in deciding state capitals and that it was entirely up to the states to determine their capitals without interference from the Centre.
Raising questions over the Amaravati project, Jagan said the government had failed to fulfil the promises made to farmers who gave their land under the land pooling scheme.
He alleged that even after acquiring around 50,000 acres, the government had not completed even basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply, and drainage.
He further criticised the expansion of the capital region to nearly one lakh acres, saying that the cost of providing infrastructure alone could go up to â¹2 lakh crore.
“How many decades will it take to mobilise such funds?” he asked, questioning the financial viability of the project.
Jagan also accused the government of inflating costs, claiming that construction expenses per square foot had risen sharply.
He alleged that the Assembly was being used not for meaningful debate, but to target him and the YSR Congress Party.
Clarifying his party’s stand, Jagan said the YSRCP was not against Amaravati or any region of the state, but was opposed to “corruption in the name of capital development.”
He warned that excessive spending on Amaravati could affect welfare schemes, education, and healthcare, and said the government must focus on balanced and practical development rather than politically driven decisions.